God is speaking to America, but are we listening?.

God is speaking to America, but are we listening?

Instead of ascribing to God what is rightfully his due, Nemo is being blamed for the massive snowstorm that struck the Northeast this past weekend. No one will pay much attention to weather attributed to Nemo, other than grumbling and complaining about shoveling snow.

However, the Bible teaches us that large storms like this Northeaster are sent by God to gain our attention. Weather that stops us from our daily routine is designed by God to make us acknowledge him for who he is:

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor.

The animals take cover; they remain in their dens.

The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.

The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.

He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.

At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.

He brings the clouds to punish men, or to water his earth and show his love.

Job 37:5-13 NIV 1984

The Weather Channel, however, tells us this is not God, but Nemo. Headlines proclaim that Nemo dumped 3 feet of snow on the Northeast. Nemo is a fictional character. God is not – not as our institutions of higher learning and much of the media would have us believe. You see, Nemo is politically correct. He is acceptable because he has no laws that man should follow.

The God of the Bible is real. He does control the wind and the waves. He does send the snow so we will stop and pay attention. As Job says, in he brings the clouds to punish us or to show his love as he pleases.

Snow and ice storms, drought, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes could leave vast portions of the country devastated. (As an aside, do you know that the most powerful earthquakes in the last 200 years occurred in Missouri and not in California? One such quake in 1812 reversed the course of the Mississippi River for 2 days!)

This storm, which is blasphemously called Nemo, could have been much worse. The earthquake in Virginia 2 years ago could have been much worse. Katrina could have been much worse. The Lord has let America know in many ways over the last 200 years that he could end our life of ease in the blink of an eye. But we can’t be bothered to notice for more than a week or two. Instead of repenting before the mighty, holy God we ignore him. We look instead to a moment of silence for redemption and protection.

God is speaking, America. He is calling us to repentance for the slaughter of unborn children, for our insatiable lusts for sexual pleasure, for our arrogance when we pretend we can take care of ourselves, for our blasphemy when we ascribe honor to every religious pretender under the sun. God is speaking, America. Does the church have the courage to listen and warn our countrymen that there is reason to fear the God who holds our very lives in his hand?

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Jay Younts

John A. (Jay) Younts is the Shepherd Press blogger, and is a ruling elder serving at Redeemer Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moore, South Carolina. He has written Everyday Talk, Everyday Talk About Sex & Marriage, Finding the Right Track, the In Touch With Paul stewardship series, and What About War. He has studied and taught about biblical childrearing for 30 years. He and his late wife Ruth have five adult children.